Variable spacing and carriage release mechanism



July 3, 1934. F, H TREGQ 1,964,749

VARIABLE SPACING AND CARRIAGE RELEASE MECHANISM Original Filed Aug. 9, 1929 4 Sheecs-Shee'r. l

MES?! IlL IN VEN TOR Fra/7K H. Treqo.

A TTORNE Y July 3, 1934. FH. TREGO VARIABLE SPACING AND CARRIAGE RELEASE MECHANISM Original Filed Aug. 9, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Fran/r H. frego. BY W ATTORNEY July 3, 1934. F. H TREGO 1,964,749

VARIABLE SPACING AND CARRIAGE RELEASE MECHANISM Original Filed Aug. 9, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN VENTOR Fra/M' H. Treqo.

- BY mi Q Mr/TORNEI' July 3, 1934. l F, TR1-:GQ 1,964,749

VARIABLE SPACING AND CARRIAGE RELEASE MECHANISM Original Filed- Aug. 9, 1929 4 Sheets-Shes?I 4 Hq, 5. mi @9 42* l 34 INVENTOR Fran/f H. Treqa j ATTORNEY ions associated with the escapement mechanism.'

Patented July 3, 1934 UNITED STATES VARIABLE SPACNG AND CARRIAGE RELEASE MECHANISM 4 Frank H. Trego, NewYork, N. Y., Iassignor, by mesne assignments, to Ralph C. Coxhead Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Original application August 9, 1929, Serial N o. 384,603. Divided and this application December 1, 1932, Serial No. 645,271

12` Claims.

This invention relates to typewriting machines and more particularlyA to variable spacing and carriage release mechanism therefor. It is a division of my application No. 384,603, filed Aug. 9, 1929.

Heretofore diiilculty has been experienced with variable feed mechanism in maintaining marginal alignment, such alignment having been disturbed by effecting a release of/the carriage, because in order to effect the release of the carriage the feed rack hs been releasedfrom any one of a plurality of pi ions associated' with the escapement mechanism, some of said pinions having a different number of teeth than the escapement wheel.

An object of the present invention is to provide variable spacing mechanism withwhich the carriage release mechanism. may :zo-operate without disturbing the marginal alignment of the typewriting on a work sheet.

In carrying out the invention provision is made for releasing theocarriage Without disengaging the rack from the active one of the pin- The pinions may constitute a unit, like that disclosed in my application No.`361,899, led May 10,'1929, now Pat.No. 1,918,299, dated July 18,.

1933, supportedv onthe shaftwith the escapement wheel. Provision is also made for disconnecting the pinion element `from the escapement wheel to release the Icarriage, thus maintaining engagement of the rackpwith the pinion element so as not to change the meshing relation between them; the maintenance of engagement of rack and pinion being essential to insure marginal alignment. v,

The connection between the escapement wheel and the pinon element, in the form 'of the invention herein illustrated, includes a pawl car/- ried by the shaft to which the eseapementwheel is secured. Said pawl engages with a ratchet secured to the pinion element so that, as the the pinion element, through the medium of the pawl, rotates the escapement Wheel step by step as permit-ted by the usual dogs associated with 4the escapement wheel.

To effect the release of the carriage the pawl is actuated to disengage it from the ratchet and thus release the carriage from the control of the escapement devices. The pawl may be operated by a plunger slidingly supported in an A axial bore in the escapement shaft, said plunger having thereon a cam to engage the pawland withdraw it vfrom engagement of the ratchet against the action of a return spring.

The actuation lof the pawl operating plunger is effected by means including an actuating lever located near thecenter of the machine and pivotally supported on the main frame of the machine. Said lever is actuable by a bar pivotally supported on the carriage, and actuable by suitable release levers supported on and located at each side of the carriage; the bar extending lengthwise of the carriage so as to engage the actuating lever in any position of the carriage.

Other features and advantages will herein-v ion element, escapement.wheel and associated parts including the carriage release mechanism,

on the escapement shaft;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 and shows the carriage release mechanism actuated;

Fig. 7 shows the pinion element shifted and the rack engaging the smallest pinion;

Fig. 8 is a sectional rear view taken on the line 13-13of Fig. 5; and A Fig. 9 is a detail end View of the pawl .carried by the escapement shaft. carriage is moved in a letter space' direction,

Similar characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The invention is shown applied to a machine known as the Varityper and includes a. main frame 20 to which is secured a track 21 upon. which a carriage 22 is mounted to travel back and forth transversely of themachine. 'I'he carriage is provided with a bar 23 which cooperates with the track 21 through anti-friction vrollers or balls 24 to guide said carriage. The carriage is further guided by a bar 25 at its upper end cci-operating with rollers 27 mounted on ythe main frame 20.

The carriage is urged in a letter feed direction by a carriage propelling means or spring drum 30 (Fig. 4) rotatably supported on the main frame 20; the spring drum being connected to the carriage by a strap or draw band 32. Letter feed movements of the carriage are effected upon the actuation of character keys, not shown, and these movements are controlled by escapement mechanism indicated generally by the numeral 33.

The escapement mechanism includes a pinion element 34 (Figs. 1 and5') having a sleeve 35 slid-A ably supported on a shaft 36 which is supported in a rear cross-bar 37 of the main frame and a lug 38 of said frame. The sleeve v35 has secured thereto threepinions 39, 40 vand 41 of different diameters to effect variable spacing of the carriage in a manner described in my above named application #361,899. Any one of the pinions may be engaged by a rack 42 carried by two arms 43, 43a, pivotallyI supported on studs 44, on carriage ends 45.

The sleeve 35 hasfurther secured thereto an internal ratchet 46 by means of screws 46a. The ratchet is engaged by a pawl 47 having a shankv 48 engagingin a hole 49 of an enlarged portion 50 of the shaft 36. A spring 51, held between the end of the shank land a plug 52, normally holds the pawl in engagement with the teeth of the ratchet 46. The head 53 of 'thepawl 47 is at and elongated and engages in a' slot 54 formed in the enlarged portion 50 of the escapement shaft to keep it from turning. The sleeve 35 is slidable lengthwise of the shaft 36 while setting it for the various feeds and because of the length of the pawl head 53 the ratchet 46 engages it in yall positions of the sleeve.

An escapement wheel 56 is rigidly connected to the shaft 36 by a pin57 engaging in an aperture 58 in the escapement wheel and in an aperture 59 in the enlarged portion 50 of said shaft.

It is held against an end face of the enlarged portion' 50 by a'nut element 60 screwed on a threaded portion 61 of the shaft 36.

From the foregoing it will be understood that the carriage is under the inuence of the spring drum 30 which tends to rotate the escapement shaft 36 through the medium of the feed rack 42, pinion element 34, ratchet 46 and pawl 47. 'I'he escapement Wheel is normally held against rotation, however, by a loose dog 62 (Fig. 2) pivoted` on a stud 63` of a frame including two arms 64 and 65; said frame being pivotally supported on the escapement shaft 36. The arm 65 has an extension 67 engaging a stop 68 against which said extension is normally held by the action of the escapement Wheel on the dog' 62.

The rear end of an arm 70, upon a depression of any, one of the type keys or the space bar, is moved downwardly and engages an inwardly projecting arm '71 to rock an escapement lever or dog rocker 72 about a pivot stud '73 against the action of a spring 74. Said lever is provided with a slot '75 into which projects a pin '76 from the dog 62 so that as the lever "12 is actuated the dog 62 is swung out of engagement with the escapement wheel 56. A fixed dog 77 secured to the lever or dog rocker 72 is brought into the path of theA teeth of said escapement wheel before the release of said wheel from the dog 62 is effected. The loose dogg is then carried upwardly, past the previouslyy engaged tooth of the escapement wheel. This 'upward movement of the loose dog is effected by a spring, not shown, connected to the printing hammer 78 which is connected to the frame 64 by a stud 78a carried by the said frame and extending freely into an aperture in the printing hammer. v Upon the release of the depressed key the arm is returned to normal thus permitting the dog rocker72 to return to normal. The loose dog 62 is thus swung back, by the dog rocker 72, into the path of the 'next succeeding tooth of the escapement wheel, and the xed dog 77 is carried out of engagement with the escapement Wheel thus permitting the completion of a letter space movement of thecarriage.

To hold the escapement shaft 36 on its bearings, or in other words, prevent accidental rearward movement of said shaft, there is provided a plate-like element 79 (Fig. 5) which may be secured to the stud 73 by a screw 79a and is provided with an end '79b extending into a groove '79c formed by the nut 60 and the escapement wheel. This element` 79 also facilitates removal of the escapement shaft from the frame.

The pinions 39, 40.and 41 vary in increasing diameters and they are of the same pitch as the rack 42. They also vary respectively in size according tonthe number of teeth. Accordingly, for each movement of the escapement wheel, which is constant, the angular distance of actuation of thel pinions is the same, but he linear distanceswhich the rack is fed by the various pinions, increase in accordance with the increase in the diameters of the pinions.

To shift the sleeve 35 to select any one of the pinions there is provided a nger piece 82 secured to a shaft 82, supported in lugs 83 and 83a on the main frame 20. The shaft 82a is rst rocked by said linger piece against the action of a return spring 82b to actuate an arm 82c secured to and near the rear end of the shaft 82a and underlying an intermediate lever 81 to actu-V Vate the latter. The inner or free end of the intermediate lever 81 engages the rack 42 to swing it out of engagement with the active pinion, the carriage being'held at this time, from escape, by teeth 81b on the rack release lever 81, sad

'teeth engaging beween the teeth of the rack 42.

The finger piece or handle 82 is nextmoved 125 lengthwise of the machine to slide the shaft 82a back or forth in its bearings 83 and 83a and thus actuate a shift lever 85 pivote'd at 86 on the main frame 20. 'Ihe inner end of the lever 85 is bifurcated and has two studs 87 projecting into an annular groove 88 formed in the periphery of a flange 89 of the sleeve 35. Thus, due to engagement of the studs- 8'7 in the groove`88, the sleeve may be slid back and forth relatively to the rack, 42, to the desired position, on the escapement shaft, to select any one of the pinions; the annular groove 88 permitting freedom of rotation 'of the pinion element with out of engagement with the active pinion, as heretofore, to effect the release of the carriage, provision is made whereby the rack remains in engagement with the active pinion during the carriage releasing operation. To this end a thrust rod or plunger 105 (Fig. 5) is slidably supported in an axial bore 106 in the escapement shaft. The inner end of said plunger is provided with a cam 107 to engage an inclined-portion 108 of an aperture 109 in the shank 48 of the pawl 47, so that when the plunger ispushed inwardly from the normal position in Fig. 5 to the position in Fig. 6 it withdraws the pawl 47 from engagement with the ratchet 46 thus releasing the carriage from the escapement while the feed rack is still in engagement with the active pinion. Thus it will be understood that the carriage may be released without disturbing the margin or vertical alignment of the typing in any one of the settings of the pinion element 34.

There are two carriage release levers 110, one on each carriage end 45, and both supported on and at opposite ends of a shaft 112 by hubs 110e.

Each release lever is actuable by a finger piece 113 against the action of a suitable rcturn spring, not shown. The lower end of each release lever has a slot 116 (Fig. 1) into which projects a pin 117 from an arm 118 pivotally supported on an offset of the hub 96 on the rack supporting arm 43. The arms 118 have each an ear 120 bent therefrom to which a bar 121, extending lengthwise of the carriage is secured. The bar 121 is swung in a counter clockwise direction (Fig. 1), upon the actuat'on of either release lever 110, and it engages the end of an element or arm 122 of intermediate mechanism indicated generally by the numeral 123 connecting the bar 121 with the pawl actuating plunger 105 of the escapement mechanism.

The arm 122 is located near the middle of the machine so that it may always-be engaged by the bar 121 in any position of the carriage. It is secured to a sleeve 124 (Fig. 3) secured to a shaft 125 supported n ears 126 and 126a of a bracket 127 secured to the machine frame by screws 128 and 129. When actuated, the arm 122, moves against the action of a return sp1-ing 130 coiled about the shaft 125, one end of which is connected to the said shaft by a screw 131 threaded through a collar 132 on the shaft 125 and bearing against the latter; the other end of the spring being connected to a lever 133 of suitable tabulating mechanism. The other end of the sleeve 124 has secured thereto an arm 134 (Figs. 2 and 5) which extends upwardly and rearwardly behind the escapement wheel 56. The upper end of the arm 134 has a slot 135 through which extends a stud 136 in a head 137 threaded on the end of the thrust rod 105 so that upon the actuation of the arm 134 the thrust rod is moved inwardly to move the pawl 47 out of engagement with the ratchet 46 to release the carriage as' previously described.

The cam end 107 of the thrust rod 105 may be adjusted relatively to the inclined surface 108 of the pawl by screwing the thrust rod more or less into the head 137. It may then be locked in its adjusted position, with respect to the head 137, by a nut 138 (Fig. 5) also threaded on the rod 105.

While certain preferred embodiments of the Y invention have been shown and described, it will be understood that changes in form, arrangement, proportions, sizes and details' thereof may 1. In a typewriting machine, the combination Vof a carriage, escapement mechanism for said carriage, an element having a plurality of pinions to effect variable spacing of the carriage associated with the escapement mechanism, a single rack, means to cause said rack to engage any one of said pinions, and means to release the carriage from the ecapement mechanism while the rack remains in engagement with the active pinion so as not to disturb the marginal alignment of the typing.

2. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a carriage, escapement mechanism for said carriage, an element having a plurality of pinions to effect variable spacing of the carriage, a rack to engage any one of said pinions to effect variable spacing of the carriage, means to effect a relative shifting between the rack and pinions according to the desired spacing, means to release the rack from the active pinion prior to the relative shifting between the rack and the pinions, and means to effect a release of the carriage while the rack'remains in engagement with the active pinion so as not to disturb the marginal alignment of the typing.

3. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a carriage, escapement mechanism for said carriage, a hollow element having a plurality of pinions to effect variable spacing of the carriage, a rack to engage any one of said pinions to effectvariable spacing of the carriage, a shaft to support the pinion element, means to shift the pinion element lengthwise of the shaft to cause any one of the pinions to engage the rack according to the desired letter spacing, a ratchet in the hollow part of the pinion element, and a pawl on said shaft to engage said ratchet, said pawl being sufficiently wide to engage the ratchet in all positions of the pinion element and adapted supported in'said head, a rod extending through 130 the other reduced portion of the escapement shaft and through the head thereof to the pawl, an escapement wheel supported on the last mentioned reduced portion and secured to said head, a plurality of pinions on said pinion element, a collar on said pinion element., and actuating means to engage said collar to shift said pinion element lengthwise of the shaft to carry any one of the pinionscinto engagement with the rack, the pawl being of suincient width to remain in engagement with the ratchet in all positions of the pinion element.

5. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a carriage, a rack element on said carriage, escapement mechanism including a shaft, an enlargement on said shaft, said enlargement having a radial bore, a pawl, a shank on said pawl engaging in said radial bore, a pinion element engageable 'by said rack element and rotatably supported on said shaft, means to shift the pinion element relatively to the rack to vary the letter spacing of the carriage, a ratchet on said pinion element and engaging said pawl, said shaft having an axial bore extending into the radial bore, a plunger in said axial bore, and means to actuate said plunger to actuate the pawl to disengage it from the ratchet and thus release the carriage from the escapement while the rack remains in engagement with the pinion element.

6. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a carriage, a rack on said carriage, a main frame, carriage escapement mechanism on said main frame, said escapement mechanism including a pinion element, and a pawl and ratchet connection between the pinion and rest of the vescapement mechanism, means to shift the pinion element relatively to the rack to vary the letter spacing of the carriage, a release bar on the carriage', intermediate means including a horizontal shaft on the main frame and extending beneath the escapement mechanism, said intermediate means including a vertical member on said shaft and located in the middle of the machine to be actuated by the release bar, said intermediate means including also a vertical member on said shaft and offset with reference to the rst Yiamed member and extending up to the escapement mechanism, and means operablek by the second named member to effect a disengagement between the pawl and ratchet to release the carriage from the escapement mechanism while the rack remains in engagement with the pinion.

7. In a typewriting machine, 4the combination of a carriage, a rack element on said carriage, escapement mechanism including a horizontally disposed shaft, a pinion element rotatably supported on said shaft to be engaged by said rack, means to alter the co-operative relation between the rack element and the pinion element to vary the feed of the carriage, an internal ratchet on said pinion, a pawl supported on said shaft and engaging said ratchet, and means on said shaft to disengage the pawl from the ratchet to release the carriage from the escapement mechanism while the rack element remains in engagement With the pinion element, the disengaging means including a non-rotating cylindrical shaft extending through an aperture in said horizontally disposed shaft, and a cone shaped end on said cylindrical shaft to engage the pawl.

8. In a typewriting machine, the combinationA of a carriage, a rack thereon, an element having a plurality of pinions of different diameters to be engaged by said rack, means to effect a relative shifting between the pinion element and the rack to vary the letter spacing of the carriage, a ratchet on said element, a shaft to support said element, an escapement Wheel on said shaft, a pawl on said shaft to engage the ratchet, a shank on said pawl extending radially into said shaft,

a non-rotating plunger extending axially through ment axially of the shaft to change its relation,

to the rack to vary the letter spacing of the carriage, releasing means extending from the rear of said shaft to disengage the pawl from the ratchet to release thecarriage, a U-shaped actuating frame extending downwardly from the re-I leasing means then'forwardly under the escapement mechanism and then upwardly at the front of the escapement mechanism, means to pivotally support said frame, and a bar operably supported on the carriage to engage the upwardly extending portion of said frame to actuate the latter to operate the releasing means while the rack remains in engagement with the pinion element. l

1 0. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a carriage, an escapement shaft including a head, and reduced portions at opposite ends of said head, a pinion element rotatably supported on one of the reduced portions of said shaft, an enlarged hollow portion on the pinion element into which the head extends, means to shift the pinion element axially of the shaft to change its position with respect to the rack to vary the letter spacing of the carriage, an internal ratchet on the enlarged portion of the pinion element, an escapement .wheel xedly supported on the other reduced portion of the shaft, said shaft having a radial aperture, an axial bore extending thereinto, and a slot on its periphery, a pawl to engage said ratchet,`a spring for said pawl, said pawl having a at head to engage in said slot, and a `shank to engage in said aperture, a cylindrical plunger in said bore to co-operate with the shank' of said pawl to actuate the latter to disengage it from the ratchet, and means to actuate said plunger to thus effect the release of the carriage while the rack remains in engagement with the pinion element.

11. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a main-frame, a carriage thereon, a rack element on said carriage, an escapement shaft on said main-frame, said shaft comprising a head and two reduced ends extending from opposite ends of the head, a pinion element supported on one of said reduced ends and having pinions of different diameters, means to shift .said pinion element axially of said shaft to change its relation with respect to the rack element in accordance with the desired spacing, said pinion element being hollow, said head extending into the pinion element, an internal ratchet on said pinion element, a spring pressed pawl supported in said duced portion of the escapement shaft and through the head thereof to the pawl to actuate the latter, and an escapement wheel supported on the last mentioned reduced portion and secured to said head.

12. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a main-frame, a carriage thereon, a rack element on said carriage, an escapement shaft on said main-frame, said shaft comprising a head and two reduced ends extending from opposite ends of the head, a pinion element supported on one of said reduced ends 'and having pinions of dierent diameters, means to shift said pinion ele- .ment axially of said shaft to change its relation with respect to the rack element in accordance with the desired spacing, said pinion element being hollow, said head extending into the pinion element, an internal ratchet on said pinion element, 'a 'spring pressed pawl supported in said head to engage said ratchet inany one of the positions iso to which the pinion element may be shifted, a rod extending through the other reduced portion of means to actuate said rod to thereby disengage the pawl from the ratchet to thus disconnect the carriage from the escapement shaft while the `rack remains in engagement with the pinion.

element. v

FRANK H. TREGO.

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